Between the Spaces
by Sage Thrasher
Summary: From the perspective of everyone else, a reborn psychiatrist comes off as very odd. In other words, a collection of side-stories and deleted scenes from "Mind the Gap." [OC-Insert]
1. Shikaku I: The Troublesome Little Girl

**Shikaku I: The Troublesome Little Girl**

* * *

When Inoichi told him about the girl, Shikaku wondered if his friend had finally gone insane. Yamanaka were much better at avoiding (or hiding) the mental strains of a ninja lifestyle, but even they broke sometimes.

"That," declared Shikaku, taking a sip of his sake, "is a terrible idea."

Inoichi chuckled. "Terrible? Not troublesome?"

"You've overshot _troublesome_ and landed right into _crazy_." Shikaku gave him a look. "Why the hell are you sponsoring a civvie kid in the middle of a war? It's not like you have enough work on your hands." He poured himself another glass. "Oh wait. You _do._ "

"You're overreacting," Inoichi smiled as if the whole situation was one big, secret joke. "Isamu said he'd help me out, and Kimi's a smart child. She doesn't need my constant supervision. Besides, the Hokage's the one who suggested we 'help the future of Konoha,' remember? I'm just following his guidance."

"Right," Shikaku drawled. "That's bullshit. When the Hokage suggested we increase the sponsorships, he meant that we pay for a few orphans to attend the Academy. I don't think he wanted you to drug a random civilian kid, who has _parents_ , by the way, and personally train her."

Inoichi winced at that. "In my defense, the drugging wasn't my idea. Isamu said she was suspicious, and you know my father. He wanted to make sure."

"Should've known." The Nara sighed. "The whole thing reeks of him." Though the Yamanaka head had practically been a second father to him, Shikaku knew how manipulative he could get. "Look. I know your dad wants you to have kids now. I get it. My mom's the same way. But why'd you get a trainee baby from outside the clan?"

The Yamanaka tapped his fingers against his glass. "I'm training Ineko's son in the clan arts, so that's not an issue."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it!" Shikaku's glare grew in intensity. "What do you plan to do with her?"

Inoichi gave a mysterious smile. "It depends. You'll understand when you see her."

Shikaku reached out and casually smacked his friend upside the head. "Shut up. That vague crap might work on your lackeys in the Intelligence Division, but it sure as hell won't work on me."

"Ow, fine!" said Inoichi with exasperation. "Seriously, I mean it. You'll understand when you see her."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Shikaku gazed morosely at his empty glass. "I'm gonna need a lot more sake, aren't I?"

* * *

When Shikaku finally saw the much-vaunted Mita Kimiko, he wasn't impressed. Brown-haired, brown-eyed, with about as much presence as a mouse, Inoichi's student wasn't much to look out. Outwardly, she seemed ready to turn tail and flee.

Now, Shikaku knew he didn't have Inoichi's talent at dissecting people with a glance, but even he could name the gleam in her eyes: wariness. She wasn't looking at him with fear but with caution.

 _This should be interesting,_ he thought.

As usual, Shikaku was right.

He challenged her to a shogi match, and to his surprise, the girl didn't play like a novice. Instead of being reactive, Kimi played like she'd been taught.

Realization dawned, making the situation more puzzling. She hadn't played _shogi_ before. That much was clear. The formations Kimi used were quite traditional… for an entirely different game. They were almost identical to those used in _chesu._ The shogi-like game from the Far West was popular in the Land of Lightning, and Shikaku was familiar enough to recognize the patterns.

 _Normally, I'd say she's a spy. It's impossible for a kid to know these moves without being taught._ But Inoichi had insisted that she was clean.

Shikaku watched as Kimi set up a classic pin on his King and gold general. Unfortunately for her, he'd prepared for that contingency. Shikaku took Kimi's piece and ended the game.

 _Not bad,_ he thought. _A less experienced player might be thrown off by her odd moves._

After ending the match, he made a mental note to interrogate his Yamanaka friend.

* * *

"Fucking Sage!" cursed Shikaku, staring at the shogi board. "Inoichi, how the hell are you so bad at this game?"

"I'm not that bad." Inoichi moved his rook, which was literally the worst possible move in that situation. Shikaku briefly considered throwing the pieces at his face.

"No, you're worse." The Nara looked around for the alcohol. "Where's the sake? I'll need it if I'm going to survive this blasphemic corruption of shogi."

"You've been hitting the sake a little too hard," chided Inoichi. "Can't you get through an evening without drinking?"

"I'm going to hit your face a little too hard if you don't shut up." He stared despondently at the board. "What the hell are you doing?"

"About Kimi?" Inoichi tapped his fingers against the board. "That's why you wanted to talk, right?"

"Actually, I was talking about the board, but this segue works." Shikaku reached over and grabbed Inoichi's king. "I win. Now, give me some sake before I beat your ass."

A few sips of incredibly watered alcohol later, Shikaku was in a much better mood.

"You were right," he admitted, referring to the conversation they'd had months ago. Shikaku stared at the painting on the wall. The two deer were drawn in a crude, ugly manner.

"Excuse me? What was that? I didn't quite hear you." Inoichi grinned. He swirled the sake in his cup instead of drinking it.

Shikaku sighed. "So troublesome." He took a deep breath and another sip. "I said, you were right. About Kimi. I _did_ know when I saw her. Doesn't mean that she's not damn suspicious. She behaves like an adult foreigner."

"You think I haven't noticed?" Inoichi rolled his eyes. "Every so often, I forget that I'm talking to a child."

The Nara grunted in agreement. "I don't blame you. You're sure that her background checks out? She's not a spy?" He'd asked Inoichi this question many times before, and the answer was always the same.

"Not against us. Her background is perfect. It's downright impossible." It was Inoichi's turn to stare at the painting. "Isamu triple-checked. Even my father assessed her. She's clean."

"So, it's a mystery. I hate mysteries." Shikaku paused. "I see why you want to use her, though. She has potential for several different situations. But it seems like a lot of work."

"So troublesome," mimicked Inoichi.

"Shut up." Still, Shikaku understood his friend's hidden request. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get to the bottom of this. Don't worry."

 _This Kimi girl might be good, but she's not_ that _good._

* * *

Unfortunately, before Shikaku could start a thorough investigation, the Nine Tails attacked, and Konoha went to hell.

After the dust settled, the situation had changed.

Konoha, and therefore Shikaku, was on the edge of demise. In the span of a day, it had gone from being the most powerful ninja-village to a crippled shadow of its former glory. The Akimichi clan had lost the most in the attack, as the majority of their members were front-line ninja. Chouza's father had died during the battle, leaving Chouza as the new clan head.

Though the Yamanaka had lost the fewest members, Inoichi had lost the most, personally. His wife and brother had been killed by the Nine-Tails. To say that Inoichi hadn't taken it well would be an understatement. Thankfully, his friend had started to recover. Well, Inoichi was beginning to function again in society, which was basically the same thing for ninja. Inoichi had thrown himself into his job and into taking care of Ino. Considering some of the other ninja's coping methods, it wasn't so bad.

Shikaku, on the other hand, had gotten away unscathed. His clan had suffered a moderate amount of casualties, the majority of them being children. For not the first time, Shikaku thanked every god there was for the protective sealing around his own child's room. His mother, the clan head, had broken her leg, but that was the extent of her injuries. Which was lucky for the clan and for him. Shikaku wasn't very keen on taking over his mother's position.

In the midst of all the chaos, Shikaku didn't have time to investigate Inoichi's student. He hardly had time to do anything besides work, as much as he despised it. But despite it all, Shikaku's genius-level IQ never let him forget. Once the village had returned to pseudo-normality, he decided to indulge in a moment of curiosity.

* * *

Shikaku pushed open the door to Kyou Nohara's office. Well, it was more of a closet than an office, but he had it on good authority that the doctor would be there. According to Inoichi, the woman was Kimi's mentor. Shikaku knew that it was a good place to start.

"For Sage's sake," snarled Dr. Nohara, somehow managing to spin around on crutches, "I'm not leaving to pop out babies until the hospital—" She stopped upon seeing her visitor.

"Hello," said Shikaku, amused.

"Oh!" The doctor bowed awkwardly, leaning heavily on one side. "Nara-sama, I didn't realize it was you! It's just… Intel's been, you know, w-well," she stammered and flushed a bright red.

He waved off her explanation. "No, I understand. My mother's the same way." He shut the door behind him and slouched a little further. "Call me Shikaku. I'm not big on formality."

"Then you must call me Kyou." Dr. Nohara eased herself into her chair, leaving her crutches against the wall. "I hope you don't mind me sitting. I'm still recovering from the loss of my leg."

Shikaku politely avoided looking at her missing limb. "I don't mind at all."

She sighed and began massaging her leg. "Is there anything you need, Shikaku-sama? I'm sorry for being so blunt, but I do need to get back to work in a few minutes." The doctor shifted in place, looking both tired and nervous.

"Right. Of course." He tucked his hands into his pockets. "It's nothing serious. I just wanted to ask you a few questions about Mita Kimiko. She's your student, right?"

Nohara's expression softened slightly before becoming defensive. "Yes. Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all." He smiled, sharp and slow. "It's just some routine questions."

She drew back and crossed her arms, knowing better than to ask anything more. "Ask away, Shikaku-sama."

"What's your opinion on Kimi? Is she a good worker?"

The doctor blinked. "Well, yes. She's very bright, and she has a certain maturity that her agemates lack. Her medical knowledge is almost uncanny, at times. I'd say she's a prodigy, but the majority of her progress is from effort, not from talent."

Shikaku leaned back, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"Frankly, Kimi-chan isn't a natural-born medic. Her chakra control is average, if that. She's had to work incredibly hard to get to where she is today."

 _Interesting_. "How good is she?"

Dr. Nohara's eyes drifted to the clock, and she started rattling off a series of benchmarks and numbers quantifying Kimi's progress. The girl had a fair amount of basic healing jutsu, a tentative grasp on cellular regeneration, and excellent non-chakra medical skills. Shikaku tucked the information into his memory, faintly impressed.

"As you can see," finished the doctor, "she's quite far ahead. Kimi is no Tsunade, but she has a fair amount of skill."

Shikaku scratched at his scars. "You seem fond of the girl."

"Well, yes." She seemed taken aback. "I was planning on taking her as my apprentice. The Med Corp needs people like Kimi."

He resisted the urge to snort. _Knowing Inoichi, that isn't going to happen._ "Is that so?" Shikaku paused. "You've noticed. There's something odd about her."

"I, well, I—" Her grip on her leg tightened. "I don't know what you mean. Well, alright, Kimi is very mature. Almost unnaturally so. Intelligent, yes, but more than that. And sometimes, well…" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Sometimes?" he prompted.

"Sometimes," she said slowly, "she knows information she shouldn't know. Information…" Kyou became pensive. "Information that even I don't know. And sometimes, it's _wrong_."

Shikaku blinked. "What?" He hadn't been expecting that.

"Kimi has an enormous amount of medical knowledge. A large portion of it is just _trivial_. Just the other day, we were discussing the appendix." She gave an incredulous laugh. "Kimi started rambling about their purpose. She mentioned extrathymic T-lymphocytes and their origins in the appendix..." The doctor trailed off, shaking her head. "How in the world would she know that? In most medical texts, the appendix is described as a useless organ. Even I hadn't heard about her theories before." Dr. Nohara shrugged. "I suppose Kimi's simply good at medicine."

He tilted his head, knowing that neither of them really believed it. "You mentioned that she's wrong, occasionally."

"Yes. She has an odd understanding of bacterial diseases. It's almost as if doesn't remember chakra's involvement in—" The doctor swore when she noticed the clock. "It was nice talking to you, Shikaku-sama, but I'm very late for my appointment. Shall we finish this conversation another time?"

Dr. Nohara didn't wait for him to answer, using her crutches to brush past Shikaku. The Jounin Commander let her go. He closed his eyes and indulged in a brief moment of respite.

 _Strange. A child with the mannerisms of an adult, a spotty but shocking knowledge of medicine, and an odd command of_ chesu _tactics…_ Shikaku opened his eyes and ambled out of the room. _Very strange. The more information I gather, the more tangled this conundrum becomes._

* * *

 **AN:** So. Here's the first story in the collection. It's just a glimpse at Shikaku's peripheral involvement and opinion of Kimi. At least, at first. The next side-story should be from Itachi's point of view. The POV will likely jump around from chapter to chapter, and I might even toss in a few deleted scenes that never made it into the main story.

Though I can't think of anything right now, I'll probably type out a few theories and miscellaneous information in the author's notes. You know, things that probably will never pop up in the actual story. Also, if you would like to see a certain scene or POV, you're welcome to ask in a review or PM, though I can't guarantee that I'll write it.

This chapter is unbeta-ed. I apologize for the errors that I missed.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Itachi I & Shikaku II

**Itachi I: When the Crickets Cry**

* * *

Itachi was used to solitude, but the Nine Tails attack had isolated him further. Before, he could at least eat lunch with his clan-mates. Most of them hadn't liked him, and the rest were struck by awe, but at least he could have pretended otherwise.

Now, the cousins in his grade were dead, as were most of the younger ones. The Uchiha youth had been hit hardest by the attack, and their adults had suffered the most casualties. Most of the children had succumbed to the chakra of the Nine Tails. Many were driven mad by the premature activation of their Sharingan. Izumi had been one of the lucky older children who'd been able to withstand the pressure.

As he ate alone, Itachi mused on the irony. The clan that suffered the most from the Nine-Tail's attack was also being blamed for it. Neither the Uchiha nor the Village had taken the devastation well. In a time where everyone should be coming together, Konoha was splitting into two.

His lips twitched as he recalled the ending lines of a rather depressing poem:

 _spreading out my robe just for one,_

 _must I sleep all alone?_

Well, the situation wasn't yet that dire, but it certainly felt close.

The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Efficiently, he cleaned up after himself and went inside. The results for the last exam had been posted. Itachi scanned the list. As expected, he'd gotten first in everything—

Almost everything. Mita Kimiko had placed first each of the written portions.

She hadn't been in his class before the attack, and she wasn't from a clan or a prominent ninja family. Civilian born, then? He glanced back to the results of the physical test. Mita Kimiko placed in the middle of the class for those, keeping her overall ranking at ten. Itachi was tempted to dismiss her as a book-smart civilian who compensated for her lack of physical ability with written exams. He'd met her kind before.

Itachi turned his gaze and locked eyes with a mousy, brown-eyed girl. She looked at him calmly before turning away, but the set of her jaw suggested… apprehension? He glanced at the paper in front of her; the name scrawled at the top confirmed that she was indeed Mita Kimiko. It seemed that she was far from happy at her accomplishment. Various reasons for her behavior flickered through his mind, and he methodically eliminated the improbable ones.

He didn't have enough information to come to a definite conclusion, but the most likely reason was fear of the Uchiha. Civilians tended to either fawn after the major clans or live in fear of them. Perhaps she had bought into the rumors surrounding the Uchiha after the Nine Tail's Attack—though their status as the military police and a Noble Clan was enough to cause fear. Itachi resolved to determine the truth. As of now, Mita Kimiko was an unknown, and nothing was more dangerous.

* * *

Between spending time with Sasuke, studying for the Academy, training with Shisui, and negotiating the pitfalls of intrigue that surrounded his family, Itachi didn't have much time to look into the odd civilian student. It was rather low in his list of priorities; she wasn't unique with her fear the Uchiha, even if she was capable of scoring higher than him. Mita Kimiko hadn't scored higher than him since then, however, which gave the appearance of it being a fluke. Then again, underestimating others was a rather easy way to die.

Two weeks after her first-place score, Itachi procured Kimiko's Academy file. He skimmed through her test scores, eyebrows rising as he noted her streak of firsts in the written exams. She hadn't missed a single question during her entire time in the Academy—until he'd joined her class, that was. (Itachi also had an unbroken streak of perfect answers. Kimiko had initially tied with him, point-wise, but she'd been awarded a higher score based on the quality of her written responses.) After the exam that she'd ranked higher in, Kimiko had began to miss one or two questions. Itachi flipped to her overall rankings, which only confirmed his suspicions.

Mita Kimiko had ranked tenth every single time. Even after she stopped receiving perfect scores on the written exam, she'd compensated with the practical exams. Clearly, she was capable of scoring higher, but she kept her ranking frozen. Kimiko clearly wanted to send a message.

But to who? The Academy? A clan? Itachi turned back to the first page and reread her profile. Her background was as civilian as they came. The closest she came to a non-civilian association was with Nohara Kyou, a medic that she had worked under. He paused, stopping at a formerly miscellaneous detail.

 _ **Tuition Status:**_ _Paid; Clan-Sponsored_

Itachi had assumed that Mita was either paying for the tuition herself or using the Graduation Plan. This… complicated things. Kimiko could simply be a civilian lucky enough to receive a throwaway sponsorship, but Itachi had a feeling that her connection was more complex. She could be an illegitimate child of a clan member, but her utterly ordinary background suggested that wasn't the case.

The lack of a clan in her profile meant that it was a closed sponsorship; ninja clans weren't required to disclose who they sponsored to anyone but the Hokage. It wasn't likely to be one of the four noble clans, since they were rarely subtle with their sponsorships. Itachi would have known had she been sponsored by the Uchiha, and the Hyuuga wouldn't sponsor someone who was barely above average.

He closed the file. The situation wasn't as innocuous as it had originally seemed, then.

* * *

 **Shikaku II: The Troublesome Thing about Kids**

* * *

Shikaku checked his son's room on a whim, fully expecting his son to be napping. He paused at the door, surprised to see that Shikamaru was up and about. His son was scowling at a shogi board as he recreated a match from memory. Shikaku watched from the doorway, tracking the progress of the game. His son had started admirably, but he'd faltered somewhere in the middle, probably due to—

Ah. He knew that playstyle.

"I'm jealous," said Shikaku loudly, startling his son. "Why is that Kimi-chan plays with you? She must like you better."

Shikamaru blinked at him and then the board. "She plays weird," he grumbles. "That's not how you play."

He hid his amusement. Of course, his son wouldn't be familiar with the tactics of _chesu_. They were similar, yes, but just different enough to give Shikamaru trouble.

"Well then," Shikaku patted his son's head, "you'll just have to learn how to play weird."

The spark in Shikamaru's eyes returned. "Okay." He reset the board, and for once, Shikaku saw determination in his son's expression. "I want to play well enough to beat her. Help me?"

"You bet I will." Shikaku sat on the other side of the board, and the match began.

* * *

The Ino-Shika-Chou trio gathered for their weekly game of koi-koi. Though Inoichi and Shikaku were doing their best to cheat, _Chouza_ was the one in the lead. Bemused and gloating at his luck, the Akimichi snacked on homemade dumplings as he tossed his card combination on the table.

"I don't understand how you're doing this," said Inoichi, raising both eyebrows.

"That makes two of us!" Chouza replied cheerfully.

Shikaku stared at the cards like he had a doujutsu. "It's probability. If enough games are played—"

"I really don't care." Inoichi scowled, sore that he was losing for the third time in a row.

"You're such a brat, Inoichi," scoffed Shikaku. The Nara didn't even bother to hide his smirk at Inoichi's glare. It was cold enough to scare the most seasoned jounin, but Shikaku was more than used to it. Half the time, he was the _cause_ of it.

Chouza gave them both a side-eye glance that made the two look away sheepishly.

"Anyway," the Akimichi said, shaking his head, "how have your students been? I've been busy in the last week, dealing with all the clan stuff." It was difficult for all of them, but Chouza had more or less adjusted to being the Akimichi clan head.

"My team's annoying, but they're alright." Shikaku grinned. "The best part about having a team is the lack of actual work involved. I can skip out on paperwork by using the kids as an excuse, and when I'm with them, I don't need to do anything but supervise."

"By which you mean nap." Inoichi seemed even more annoyed by his hand of cards.

"Exactly," said Shikaku. "I just have a shadow clone run them ragged." He shrugged at Inoichi's look. "What can I say? It's effective. After a week or two of teamwork drills and basic exercises, I'll get them started on their specialization. It's not like they need that much work, anyway. Yugao's already at low chuunin. She's much better than her brother was at her age, and it's no surprise that ANBU's sniffing around her. The two boys aren't as skilled as her, but they have the basics down. With a little more training, they should reach chuunin in no time."

"Iruka and Mizuki both want to become teachers at the Academy, right?" Inoichi asked.

Shikaku nodded. "They announced it during our first meeting. It's a rather unique goal, considering that most boys their age want to be legends or 'super-cool shinobi.' I found it refreshing, actually."

"You're already that attached?" Chouza laughed, and the other two smiled with him.

"Maybe," admitted Shikaku. "They're good kids. Determined, hard working, and not at all arrogant. Iruka and Mizuki will make excellent teachers, and I don't doubt that Yugao will fulfill her dream of being a swordmaster." His face grew a little darker. "She's likely to head into ANBU in the future. With her swordsmanship and sensing abilities, she'll be the perfect complement to any combat team."

"You don't seem very keen on the idea," Inoichi observed.

Shikaku sighed and scratched his head. "Yugao's more stable and well-adjusted than most ninja who ANBU takes interest in. I'm just concerned that she won't _remain_ that stable if she joins."

Inoichi made a noncommittal sound. "You might be surprised. Besides, that's still in the far future."

The mood sobered somewhat. After all, ninja could never be certain what the future would bring.

* * *

 **Author's Notes and More:**

The poem quoted in Itachi's section is a famous Japanese one by Fujiwara no Yoshitsune. Titled _A Cold Mat_ , it's actually has references to older poems, and... I'll stop here. As you'll see, I actually took the title of Itachi's section from the same poem. It is as follows:

 _When the crickets_

 _cry in the frosty night,_

 _on the cold reed-mat,_

 _spreading out my robe just for one,_

 _must I sleep all alone?_

Other poems, quotes, and pieces have appeared and will continue to appear throughout the story. When I can't find any piece that fits, I do make some up... but don't worry, I'm not going to devote a large portion of the story to poetry. (Itachi _does_ strike me as the kind of person who'd have an appreciation of literature, though. I stick to prose for a reason.) Anyway, that's enough of that.

I thought I'd point out some changes that Kimi purposefully or inadvertently caused.

In canon, Nohara Kyou (Rin's sister and Kimi's doctor teacher) died during the attack. She'd been pushing herself to the brink of chakra exhaustion for several days, and Kyou was unable to escape from the building collapse. In this timeline, Kimi's assistance let Dr. Nohara conserve just enough chakra to escape. Of course, Kyou is technically an OC, but we learned nothing about Rin's family. I felt justified in creating her, haha.

Ino's mother survived the Nine Tails Attack in canon. She's dead in this fic, due to butterflies. Perhaps Kimi's additional babysitting services gave Misaki more freedom, so she began working/volunteering more, leading to her not being in the compound during the attack. Or perhaps it was simply a split second decision that was made differently.

There is, of course, Kimi's relationship with the Ino-Shika-Chou trios. That will be explored more in the fic. The same thing applies to the changes in Kimi's friends, Itachi, Hana, and so on. It wouldn't be fun if I wrote _everything_ out, right?

As always, thanks for reading. I always appreciate all your support.


	3. Takumi: Agreeable

_AN: The following chapter contains mentions of suicide and death. Continue with caution if you are sensitive to those topics. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (_ _1-800-273-8255) or an equivalent number and seek help. Don't be afraid to reach out._

* * *

 **Takumi: Agreeable**

* * *

Mita Takumi had always been agreeable.

Once, he'd had a friend—

(No, that was too far back.)

Takumi had never liked conflict. In some ways, that made him a great merchant. He knew how to please people, and naturally, others reciprocated. It was even how he'd wooed his darling wife Emiko. After flowers and dinner and careful listening, she'd fallen in love. They'd married quickly, spurred by raging Second Shinobi War. Even civilians couldn't be sure of survival during those times.

Perhaps they had married too quickly. They'd been very different people—Takumi with his quiet realism and Emiko with her naive optimism. Both had been determined to make it work, so they struggled and argued and talked and loved. It was difficult, but they'd learned to _understand_ each other, not just listen. Their marriage, first based on sparks and infatuation, slowly grew a foundation of love and respect. (Quietly, Takumi admitted that being agreeable helped. Emiko had a spine, and it was often Takumi who gave way.)

In the lull between the wars, they'd had a kid. Emiko and Takumi had long wanted one, so it'd been both a surprise and a joy. After an easy pregnancy, Kimiko was born. Kimiko, with Emi's brown hair and his brown eyes and a soft smile that was entirely her own. He'd known she was different. He wasn't Emiko, who only saw what she wanted to. Kimiko was considerate and careful and intelligent in ways that weren't entirely normal, but that made no difference to him. Takumi had watched her grow, and he'd never known it was possible to love someone so much.

Takumi had grown overconfident, then. He'd ignored the whispers that the "end" was more of a stalemate, and he'd begun branching into luxury goods. It was a gamble, and one that had certainly failed. A few weeks after his daughter's second birthday, the Third Shinobi War began.

It hit his business hard, and it was only their careful savings that kept them from being bankrupt. Still, with his daughter's school fees, the expenses of running a business, rent, and all the other costs, they found their nest egg to be quickly dwindling. Emiko had retreated into stubborn optimism, and Takumi found his patience to be disappearing as fast as their money. They did their best to keep their troubles away from Kimi, but they weren't good enough.

When his daughter announced her desire—her _decision_ —to become a ninja, Takumi's world stopped, and he felt as if he was a child again.

He'd had many friends when he was young, but his closest friend had been a brilliant boy by the name of Shuji. They'd grown up together, two thoughtful souls, and they'd spent many evenings climbing an oak tree while Shuji explained his newest idea of the day. He'd understood concepts and patterns with a glance, soaking up everything and anything. Takumi wasn't as bright as his friend. Instead, he had loved to sit and listen, though he sometimes didn't comprehend; Takumi had always been the best audience.

Even then, ninja were always searching for bright children. Shuji was just the kind they liked. He joined the Academy when he turned seven, which was a little later than the rest, but he still excelled. Shuji always excelled. On the other hand, Takumi studied in civilian school. He'd never go to the universities in the capital, but his parents insisted on him having an education before he joined trade as a merchant. Despite their diverging lives, Takumi and Shuji still met by the oak tree. Why wouldn't they? They were friends.

As the years dragged on, Takumi took over his family's business, and Shuji continued in his career as a ninja. Though he never divulged specific details, Shuji mainly worked with cryptography. It was work that kept his whirling mind occupied, that kept up the constant spark he'd always had when working on a difficult problem. For a time, both were happy. Shuji would have never been content being a craftsman or merchant. For a time, Takumi believed that being a ninja suited his friend.

Then the Second War broke out.

Shuji's eyes grew dark and haggard as the war dragged on. He no longer had the luxury of staying in Konoha, working with piles of obscure scrolls. Every ninja was needed on the front lines. Sure, he never was sent into the high conflict areas, but each time he returned from his excursions, Shuji became dimmer and dimmer.

Reminiscence had taken the place of hypotheticals, and they shared the occasional bottle instead of making paper airplanes. Takumi suspected that his friend had been drowning his sorrows in more alcohol than was healthy, but he kept silent. Shuji's wry smile hinted that he knew where Takumi's thoughts had gone. One bottle became two, then three, but what could Takumi do? He kept silent and dragged his friend home after a drunken escapade when he could.

Then, Shuji met Kenta and left it all behind. Takumi was not surprised. He had long guessed what Shuji's inclinations were. Konoha turned a blind eye to those who preferred the company of their own sex; the life of a ninja was short, and everyone took happiness when they could. Those men or women were still expected to have children, of course, but whose company they spent time in was their own business. Takumi was a civilian, and while his circles tended to be more conservative about related issues, Takumi didn't give a damn. All he hoped was for life to improve for his friend. And in some ways, it did. Shuji's eyes resembled those of their childhood again, eager and animated. For the first time in years, his friend began to think of the future.

They were by the oak tree again when a hawk delivered a black scroll. Takumi had never seen someone break before. The look in Shuji's eyes would haunt him for years. (Takumi would see the same look in his own after learning of his wife's death.)

Takumi met Emiko a few months after and fell in love. Shuji drifted away, unable to bear the happiness of his friend but unwilling to ruin it. After proposing to Emiko, Takumi begged Shuji to stand in for his family, to say the prayers by his side. Takumi's parents had died years ago, and Shuji was the closest he had to a brother. Shuji refused with a sad smile.

Two weeks later after his wedding, saw a messenger hawk by his windowsill, and Takumi received a black scroll. He was Shuji's only contact, listed as his next of kin. Shuji had committed suicide. He was a casualty of war that would not have his name written on the Memorial Stone. Shuji's only apology note was his will. Apart from a hastily scribbled " _I'm sorry_ ," it said to give what little he had to Takumi.

It took years for Takumi to recover, years for him to be able to think of Shuji with forgiveness and understanding instead of grief and irrational anger, years for him to walk by that damn oak tree without wanting to cry and scream and _he just wants his friend back, please—_ and everything just rushed back the moment his daughter looked at him and said, "I will be attending the Academy."

He couldn't do it again. Takumi didn't want to come home to the broken eyes of his too-intelligent daughter, to false smiles and shaking hands, to a black scroll… he doesn't want to see that happen. He wouldn't. So Takumi closed his eyes and pretended that his little Kimiko wasn't becoming a stranger with every passing year. When they learned that Emiko was expecting, Takumi had naively hoped that everything would be better. (Hadn't he learned his lesson?) He would name his son Shutaro in honor of his friend, and Kimi would spend more time at home with her little brother, and his business would boom in peacetime.

Then the Nine Tails attacked, and his crumbling world shattered. Instead of picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild, he ran away.

God forgive him. Takumi had left his daughter in the hands of thieves and killers. There was nothing he could do, not without power or wealth or influence… not if Konoha wanted her. Konoha always got what it wanted. It was the price of living in the village, and Takumi had paid the price again and again. It had taken his dearest friend, his wife, and it would take his daughter. There was nothing he could do but nod his head and smile.

Mita Takumi had always been agreeable.

* * *

 **AN:** Kimi's father hasn't gotten much metaphorical screen time, but I hope this snippet gives a glimpse into his character. It ended up being a little longer than expected, but that's how things usually go for me. There was also supposed to be several scenes from Inoichi's POV, but they neither made it into the side stories nor the uploaded chapter. Oh well. I suppose that I'll post them alongside chapter 11 of _Mind the Gap._

As you may have guessed, I've always intended for _Between the Spaces_ to be more informal, a place where I can point out logical reasons for certain decisions, potential AUs, Easter eggs, and so on. On that note, chapter 10 of _MtG_ (not the card game) included more poetry from Itachi. _Be not Defeated by the Rain_ (Ame ni mo Makezu) is another incredibly famous Japanese poem. It describes the ideal behavior of a truly great person according to Buddhist philosophy. Well, it's a little more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it.

So, I got to thinking what would've happened had Kimi been reincarnated in the Warring Clan era. It was supposed to be a small aside, but it _really_ got me thinking. She'd be born in a poor village and be able to put her medicine skills to use, and... hey, that'd be an interesting story, huh? So I began to write, and rewrite, and plot, and I basically ended up with a whole another story with different characters. In other words, _Sanitize_ , which I posted a few weeks ago. Yeah, that was to blame for the delay in the newer chapter and the lack of an AU snippet. Though that story was _inspired_ by Kimiko, the OC Yui is entirely her own character. There's basically no connection besides the initial thought.

Thanks for reading.


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